49 U.S.C. § 33101 — Definitions

In this chapter— (1) “chop shop” means a building, lot, facility, or other structure or premise at which at least one person engages in receiving, concealing, destroying, disassembling, dismantling, reassembling, or storing a passenger motor vehicle or passenger motor vehicle part that has been unlawfully obtained— (A) to alter, counterfeit, deface, destroy, disguise, falsify, forge, obliterate, or remove the identity of the vehicle or part, including the vehicle identification number or a derivative of that number; and (B) to distribute, sell, or dispose of the vehicle or part in interstate or foreign commerce. (2) “covered major part” means a major part selected under [section 33104 of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section33104&num=0&edition=prelim) for coverage by the vehicle theft prevention standard prescribed under section 33102 or 33103 of this title. (3) “existing line” means a line introduced into commerce before January 1, 1990. (4) “first purchaser” means the person making the first purchase other than for resale. (5) “line” means a name that a manufacturer of motor vehicles applies to a group of motor vehicle models of the same make that have the same body or chassis, or otherwise are similar in construction or design. (6) “major part” means— (A) the engine; (B) the transmission; (C) each door to the passenger compartment; (D) the hood; (E) the grille; (F) each bumper; (G) each front fender; (H) the deck lid, tailgate, or hatchback; (I) each rear quarter panel; (J) the trunk floor pan; (K) the frame or, for a unitized body, the supporting structure serving as the frame; and (L) any other part of a passenger motor vehicle that the Secretary of Transportation by regulation specifies as comparable in design or function to any of the parts listed in subclauses (A)–(K) of this clause. (7) “major replacement part” means a major part that is— (A) an original major part in or on a completed motor vehicle and customized or modified after manufacture of the vehicle but before the time of its delivery to the first purchaser; or (B) not installed in or on a motor vehicle at the time of its delivery to the first purchaser and the equitable or legal title to the vehicle has not been transferred to a first purchaser. (8) “model year” has the same meaning given that term in [section 32901(a) of this title](https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section32901/a&num=0&edition=prelim). (9) “new line” means a line introduced into commerce after December 31, 1989. (10) “passenger motor vehicle” includes a multipurpose passenger vehicle or light duty truck when that vehicle or truck is rated at not more than 6,000 pounds gross vehicle weight. (11) “vehicle theft prevention standard” means a minimum performance standard for identifying major parts of new motor vehicles and major replacement parts by inscribing or affixing numbers or symbols on those parts.